Italian Cream Cheese and Ricotta Cheesecake

This super rich, creamy, tangy, no frills, crustless Italian-style cheesecake is easier than you’d think to prepare at home! It’s always a HUGE hit with everyone at the table. Perfect for holiday desserts, dinner parties, and celebratory meals.

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A few years ago, my Italian in-laws came over for New Year’s Eve, and I wanted to make a delicious dessert to go with our prime rib dinner. I had recently come across a great sale on ricotta cheese, so there was only one thing on my mind…

Cheesecake.

Glorious, decadent cheesecake.

This is a super rich, creamy, tangy, no frills, crustless Italian-style cheesecake. It was a HUGE hit with everyone at the table. And it was much easier than I had anticipated to prepare!

I made a few changes to the directions from the original recipe. I added some layers of foil on the outside of the pan and then placed that in a baking sheet with a water bath to help cook the cheesecake more evenly and prevent cracking.

I also decided to leave it sit in the oven for an extra hour before I chilled it.

The only thing I may change next time is to let it cool on the counter for a while before putting it into the fridge. I had a bit of condensation form under the foil that was covering the cheesecake, and it made a little wet area on top of the cake, which had a bit of discoloration.

All cosmetic.

Still ridiculously delicious.

(Psssst: stay tuned for a post coming up with tips for how to “fix” some common cheesecake troubles – I have some fun tricks for you!)

This is a surefire hit for any dinner party! Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to let it chill – several hours to overnight. It just gets better and better the longer it sits in the fridge. But it’s pretty hard to resist picking on it!

I’ve made this cheesecake (and a few variations!) a few times now, and it always turns out deliciously! It’s a really solid Italian cheesecake recipe that has gotten many, many thumbs up. Italians and non-Italians all agree on this one – it’s a keeper!

One final note – go the full fat route when making this cheesecake. But if you do decide to use reduced/fat free, do report back to let me know if it worked out for you!

Looking for more 5-star dessert recipes? Check out some of our favorites:

Description

This super rich, creamy, tangy, no frills, crustless Italian-style cheesecake is easier than you’d think to prepare at home! It’s always a HUGE hit with everyone at the table. Perfect for holiday desserts, dinner parties, and celebratory meals.

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages full fat cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 pint full fat sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a springform pan. Wrap the outside of the springform with 2 layers of aluminum foil and place it on top of a baking sheet.

Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour, and butter. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Pour hot water into the baking sheet until it comes about 1/2 inch up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour; turn oven off and leave in oven 2 hours more. Cover and allow to chill completely in refrigerator, preferably overnight, before serving.

Notes

If the cheesecake is still warm when you take it out of the oven, let it sit on the counter for a little while before covering and refrigerating it. This will help prevent any condensation from forming on the underside of the foil, which can discolor your cheesecake top.

Did you make this recipe?

Note: This post includes affiliate links for items that I genuinely enjoy. Big Flavors will receive a tiny commission from purchases made through affiliate links on this site at no added cost to you. This allows us to cover site-related expenses and helps to keep us cooking up a storm!

Ruth Ackermann

To keep condensation from “dripping” on your cheeseacke place a few layers of paper towel across the top of the pan and hold in place with the foil…. it will absorb the moisture and no make white puddles on your cheesecake… i do it all the time….

Danielle

Baking this cheesecake as we speak! It’s been in for one hour and still very jiggly and liquidy. Do I continue to bake until it’s firmed up, or does the two hours in the oven off help firm it up?
Thanks!

I haven’t ever checked on it to see if it’s still liquidy after the baking time – I just leave it in the oven for an additional 2 hours to set, so I’m not totally sure. Did you open the oven door to determine the texture? That may allow heat to escape and throw off the cooking time. I hope it works out for you!

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About Ashley Covelli

I’m the food writer, recipe developer + photographer behind Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. I am dedicated to helping you (yes, you!) find your next favorite recipe. My goal is to encourage you to cook delicious food at home no matter what your skill level.

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